Thursday, August 28, 2008

i think most of you who've read my blog know that i chose to study cultural anthropology and peace studies as my undergrad, with the plan of attending medical school after. i recently met someone---an older gentleman with a PhD in english---who felt that the new line of thinking in anthropology (which is often termed 'collaborative') is quite arrogant in its thinking that the field should have a goal. he actually said, "i'm not sure we should assume that every culture or people have a goal."

what can i say?

i think some people like to pretend they are living under rocks. was he just being plain insulting to the 'rest of' the world? was he just assuming that because a particular group does something differently than what he would define as a 'goal' it is therefore not a goal?

my point here is to comment on how vitally important it is to collaborate in anthropology, as collaboration is key to life!

when we feel that there is a problem that needs to be solved, we go out to find a solution, no? no one likes to merely be 'told what to do.' i can tell you from community health work in africa that people want you to work with them. no one likes to be viewed as some little person in great distress that is being saved, eh? i don't care if you're dying of AIDS, you want to be treated with dignity and respect, with your major issues viewed as target areas of the greatest need. help me help you, right?

i'm talking about this because diabetes (both type 1 and 2) are a prime example of how important collaborative healthcare is. providers must work with each patient as a different individual with a different diabetes than the next person.

because in reality, not everyone can or wants to be a member of Team Type 1.

and so, yes, i think everyone 'has a goal.' we all live for something, even if it's you filling your emotional void with donuts or cocaine.

ethnic, cultural, socioeconomic, and gender (!) differences all play a role in how people feel, think, act, react, respond, and live with their disease processes.

from a medico-cultural anthropology standpoint, this could get overly intellectual and academic. but let's just try being human:

accept others and try to understand their worldview perspective and life situation. work with that person for who they are. you get a lot further in helping them to define their own idea of wellness if you try to start from a sense of collaborative and holistic health. then all the straightforward 'this is what your disease is and this is what you must absolutely do to stay alive' stuff will easily follow.

she has spent the last 10 years teaching yoga to nearly 8,000 people! she says her goal is to share it with as many people as possible. we'll each be designing a routine for our own health and wellness. i can't even tell you how exciting this is!

but get this:

my favorite part about her is that she spends the fall and spring teaching people yoga in town, but then in the summer goes to places like haiti and does natural therapeutics and yoga with orphans and people living with hiv/aids. what a soul!

by the way, haiti is the poorest nation in the western hemisphere. i have thought that it would be the next place i would like to do community health work in, so maybe it is fate that i am studying under my new yoga teacher?

(for more on the struggles of haiti and hiv/aids in the west, read one of my heros, paul farmer: anthropologist, doctor, philosopher, realist, and advocate for our most marginalized.)

while at work this weekend, i had the pleasure of working on a lovely young lady with down's syndrome. she had come to see me (for massage therapy) because she'd just been in the special olympics and due to winning her many awards, was "sore all over!"

when i asked her what her other hobbies were, she said "boys."

i said, "oh ya? you gotta a boyfriend?"

"yes, his name is joe jonas."

well, well, well.

now, not to sound perverted, i have to admit that i too, find little joe jonas to be the hottest of the hot jonas brothers. nick, the one with type 1 is great too. however, due to his diagnosis, i just want to squeeze his sweet cheeks and tell him his song, "a little bit longer" made this newly diagnosed 27 year old cry. thank you, nick. maybe someday you'll serenade all of us ladies with type 1 with your song and let us ruffle your curls.

the beautiful gal i worked on had a just-as-sweet-mum. her mother told me something lovely:

"if reincarnation is real, then she's perfection reincarnated."

i couldn't agree more. all this gal did was smile, talk about life, say how great the massage was, and giggle at my cheesy jokes.

sigh.

i need more super-sweet-joe-jonas-loving-totally-in-the-moment-keepin'-it-real-patients in my work space. heck, we need more people like that in life.

it was a bittersweet reminder that even when life hands you lemons, you gotta make lemonade. er, just don't forget to take your insulin upon drinking it..

Friday, August 22, 2008

a fellow type 1 blogger wanted to clarify the difference between cellular death and the possibility of regeneration. i think this is important because the naturopathic physician i am seeing along side my allopathic practitioners does not in any way believe that beta cellular-regeneration is impossible.

however, the beta cells produced by the pancreas in the past and present in a person with type 1 are attacked and destroyed by the immune-system's t-cells, never allowing those particular insulin-producing cells to come back---just like brain cells.

the key of course to all of this is understanding that there is nothing wrong (per say) with a type 1's pancreas!

the problem is the immune-system. it is essentially hyper-activated (the definition of autoimmunity) and attacking a specific organ/system within the body. For example, with MS, the immune system attacks the myelin sheath of the spinal cord/nervous system leaving nerve fibers exposed and destructed, leading to degenerative function associated with MS sufferers.

i believe that immunologists like dr. denise faustman are the key to our cure. let's hope they can get to the bottom of this very destructive mode the immune-system gets in so that we can all live more wholly.

there are excellent books on autoimmunity out there, such as The Autoimmune Epidemic and Living Well with Autoimmune Disease.

i love their earthy knobbiness. and they do taste like an artichoke heart. but harder.

a 'harder heart', eh?

perhaps a metaphor for people we all know.

a native-american tuber.

i like that word...tuber.

just boil a bit longer than a potato, put some butter and garlic on them and voila!

you have earthy-knobby-tuber-goodness for your chilled autumn tummy.

if we eat seasonally, we feel more in tune with ourselves and everyone else.

i really believe that.

update:

jerusalem artichokes (aka, 'sunchokes') are excellent for diabetics b/c although starchy, they burn through your system much more slowly than a potato and have inulin (NOT insulin) that breaks down into fructose instead of glucose in your body. this allows for better metabolizing of the veggie overall. plus, i can tell you from experience, you don't need a lot of insulin to eat them!

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

i am so done with refined sugar and flour. it's just not worth what it does to my blood sugar! seriously, i can never seem to take the correct amount of insulin whenever i eat something with white flour or sugar.

oh ya, did i tell you how i started using erythritol? it's a sugar alcohol. you can buy it at whole foods. a bit pricey, but so worth it because you barely need any (it comes in packs to bring out with you, or in bulk for a pretty penny [$12!] for cooking.) but here's the beauty of it that makes it worth it:

it does not have a disgusting aftertaste.

ohmygod! i think i wrote about my delicious treats i'd made, but ew! stevia sucks bad. the treats are great, but you will find that stevia is not so fun. ugh! the aftertaste! so i found erythritol and it's much, much better.

it literally has no effect whatsoever on blood sugar, and you don't have to eat completely bland, bitter, boring food.

Thursday, August 7, 2008

i got my results from my first 'real' HgA1c. i say 'real' because the last one included the first month of diagnosis, and that was still good (7.8 down from like 15.)

5.6! can you believe it?! 5.6.

for those of you not-so-medical, the normal range for a person with diabetes is less than 7%. for all of you with beautifully functioning pancreases (would the plural actually be pancreai? i'm over-thinking my highschool latin here) the normal range is 5-6%. hey people-with- normal-pancreai, i'm just like you! ;)

yes, i started jumping up and down like a maniac when i got the results. i'm actually really glad that i was not at my doctor's office, because i probably would've kissed him. and ew, my endo is not so hot.

this means a lot for me: it means my body is adjusted, it means i'm doing more than ok, it means i can make healthy babies (!) it means i'm no longer a sugar-whacked mess.

my internist (the one i have a 'hug attraction' to) wrote me a little note calling me his little star again.

Friday, August 1, 2008

it's funny what a disease does to you. it takes something away, while simultaneously giving you every reason in the world to live in the moment, enjoy everything you taste, touch, smell, see, and hear.

despite all of the glitches and problems and issues, i feel blessed to be here. unlike most, i am deeply aware that one day, this beautiful life really will end.

i know this because my life is injected into me everyday.

and i'm grateful. frustrated, confused, lacking a family support system, but so grateful to the people who have become my family.

About Me

Reem is a mama, adoptee, people watcher, image maker, culturally infused and enthused reader and writer. She's lived with type 1 diabetes since she was 27, works on joyful revolution, and speaks enough Swahili to get herself into trouble. She lives in the Land of Enchantment.

About This Blog

This blog is about living with Type 1 Diabetes (if you are not 100% sure of what it is, I beg of you to click that link). My approach centers strongly on the use of true integrative medicine--the merging of the best of both worlds. While western medicine saves my life every day, my leanings toward an otherwise natural medicine approach maintains, balances, and improves my health overall.

Medical Disclaimer

I'm not a doctor.

Please note that this blog is provided for informational purposes only. While I do take a naturopathic approach to healthcare, this blog is not intended as a substitute for actual medical advice. Readers of this blog should not use this information to diagnose or treat a health problem or disease without consulting a qualified health care provider.